Chapter 7
Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: 6 - Indefinite Contractor Prepares for Dispatch
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kazan. One of the three major cities in the North.
At the same time, it was the city of misfortune that had never escaped being the Steel Scale Tribe's top plundering target for the past fifty years.
The reason the Steel Scale Tribe always targeted Kazan was simple. It was wealthy.
Kazan was one of the North's premier magic stone mining regions.
The reserves of magic stones buried deep underground in Kazan's lands were on par with the empire's best.
Naturally, this drew countless thieves, so people built fortresses and walls to fend them off.
Thus born, Kazan had flourished since ancient times with a constant stream of visitors. But it also earned the unwanted nickname of being a city beloved by the Steel Scale Tribe.
The Steel Scale Tribe came down from the highlands to plunder in order to survive the winter.
It was only natural for them to target places ripe for the taking, and they could hardly overlook the North's wealthiest city, Kazan.
A dangerous city perpetually in the Steel Scale Tribe's crosshairs, yet also a prosperous one endlessly laying golden eggs in the form of magic stones.
After much deliberation, the ruler of the North decided to turn this perilous and vital city into a testing ground.
"The Northern Archduke must be the bravest man in the North. Become Kazan's mayor and slay a wyvern to prove your courage! Only those who prove their valor may inherit the archduke's name!"
And so, Kazan became the proving ground where heirs to the archduke's blood were tested for their worthiness to bear the archduke's name.
Even the Northern Archduke's firstborn could not escape this tradition.
Rainer Dol Carta, the student taking the test this year, was no exception.
"So, a mage from the Foreign Legion is coming to Kazan?"
"Yes, Young Master."
Rainer frowned.
The response from Syril, his secretary and advisor, was just as displeasing.
"Annoying."
Rainer turned his gaze outside the office.
Through the window, he could see soldiers and workers repairing Kazan's walls.
"Is the Carta ducal house a joke to them, or do they just not understand plain speech? I specifically requested the strongest mage."
"You did."
"And they send a Foreign Legion mage? An indefinite contract mage, not even a regular?"
His tone dripped with prejudice.
His subordinates and knights chimed in with agreement.
"We should send a protest letter to the Magic Tower right away. This is an insult to Kazan and to you, Young Master."
"Exactly. They can't treat you like this. We can't just let it slide."
"Everyone, please lower your voices. You're getting too worked up."
"How can we not get worked up?!"
"Of course we shouldn't get worked up. Unless it's something to celebrate."
"What?"
At the incomprehensible reply, all eyes turned to Syril. Rainer too.
She spoke calmly.
"My lord, let's not send that protest letter to the Magic Tower. We'll just end up looking foolish and taking a loss."
"Why?"
"Actually, a regular mage was slated to be dispatched to Kazan."
"What?"
"But I turned it down."
"...!"
The air in the room froze instantly.
Everyone thought they'd misheard.
Rainer asked again.
"Syril. Is that true?"
"Yes."
"Why on earth?"
"I was merely following your orders, my lord. You wanted the strongest mage, didn't you?"
"I did."
"So I rejected the regular and went for this one."
"Are you saying this indefinite contract mage is better than a regular?"
"I don't know about raw magical skill, but he's definitely the strongest."
"What makes you so sure?"
Instead of answering, Syril pulled out a stack of documents and placed them before Rainer.
"The evidence proves it."
"Evidence? This?"
Rainer's eyes fell on the papers.
His hand flipped the first page.
His eyes widened like saucers.
"This is real?"
"Yes."
"Hah."
Rainer wondered if the Magic Tower was playing a prank on the North.
The information packed onto those pages was shocking in itself.
"This is one Magic Tower mage's personal record? Not the combined careers of ten mercenary mages who've lived by the sword their whole lives?"
The indefinite contract mage being dispatched to Kazan had an astonishing resume.
Pirate suppression, ruin exploration, prisoner escort, biological disaster response—he'd done it all, with no failures.
The most shocking part was the insane work routine: six days on, one day off.
The retainers who received the documents reacted with the same astonishment as Rainer.
"My god. Is he not a contractor but some penal squad member from the Magic Tower? Or maybe he owes them a debt."
"He's just an official black mage on indefinite contract."
"So all this performance is real?"
Syril nodded at the still-doubting crowd.
"When I first got the data, I couldn't believe it either, just like you. So I randomly picked twenty territories listed as cleared by this mage and sent people to verify."
"And the results?"
"No fabrications whatsoever. It was 100% factual."
The room buzzed with murmurs.
If true, this mage named Daniel was someone to welcome with open arms, contrary to their assumptions.
Where else could you find a veteran mage with such combat experience that even a senior knight couldn't compare?
Syril thought the same.
"That's why I had to work hard. The regulars who wanted this posting were so persistent. But I wrapped it up nicely and secured him."
"..."
Rainer fell silent.
He knew what Syril was getting at.
But he couldn't fully shake his doubts.
Things too flashy were often hard to believe. This was no different.
How many fakes had he seen—impressive on paper but empty in person?
'Even if Syril verified it, it's too soon to relax.'
Syril smiled faintly at her liege, who still harbored suspicion.
He could be disappointed, but she was satisfied—far from it, in fact.
Not blindly trusting a subordinate's word, starting with doubt—that was the mindset every ruler needed.
"Young Master, why don't you test him yourself?"
"Test him?"
"Yes. There's a saying in the North, isn't there? 'If you want to be friends, share a vodka first.'"
"...!!!"
"One vodka, and you'll know if he's real or fake. Then decide whether to welcome him or boot him and get another mage. Am I wrong?"
"No. You're right, Syril."
Rainer's eyes sparkled.
"If you want to be friends, share a vodka first."
In the North, it meant "I only drink with friends."
But among scheming nobles, it hid another meaning:
"Test if they're foe or ally by getting them drunk."
Alcohol was both medicine and poison that revealed true intentions.
No matter how well hidden, booze brought out real feelings, ambitions, instincts.
Rainer knew this from experience.
"Fine. If he's real, make him a comrade. If fake, protest to the Tower and score a bunch of 5th Circle mages for free. Syril, prepare a welcome feast."
"I'll make sure the vodka's the strong stuff."
Distrust lingered.
But now, with the test decided, curiosity bloomed alongside it.
Daniel. Would this mage be the powerful defender of Kazan he hoped for? Or the opposite?
One glass of Northern vodka would answer that.
Rainer already looked forward to that day.
Right after Daniel's dispatch to the North was confirmed, Titania summoned him to the underground training grounds.
She'd originally planned a light check, but when his posting turned out to be Kazan, she changed her mind.
'Kazan—that's where Young Master Rainer rules, right? This is an opportunity!'
Kazan. Heart of the North.
Rainer. Rumored to be the next archduke barring major blunders, a future powerhouse.
If Daniel racked up merits there and caught his eye?
It could create a political connection with Rainer.
Aspiring future Magic Tower Lord, she couldn't miss this.
Decision made, there was only one task.
'Intensive training for Daniel. The stronger he gets, the more merits he'll earn!'
The unscheduled special training began thus.
"First, let's assess your capabilities. Use every spell you can."
"Understood."
The capability test kicked off before training proper.
True to being one of the scant thirty 5th Circle masters in the Tower, she pinpointed Daniel's issues at a glance.
"I've grasped your skill level and style, but... it's hard to evaluate. Daniel."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize. That's not what I meant. I was just... a bit surprised."
Titania was perplexed.
Daniel, for a 5th Circle expert, lacked in so many areas.
'Never seen such an irregular mage.'
For starters, he only knew twenty spells. Average for a 5th Circle mage was thirty—definitely short.
Worse, over half were support spells even a 4th Circle could handle. Proficiency was 5th Circle level, but his other spells were undeniably subpar.
'Pure magic-wise, he's barely 4th Circle master. But summoning's another story.'
Titania recalled a mercenary captain she'd seen before.
He commanded over a hundred troops like extensions of himself—a brilliant leader.
Daniel directing his imp horde was just like that.
Over a hundred lesser demons moved with fluid, precise control.
'Less a mage, more a commander.'
She couldn't hold back the question.
"How did you develop this style? I've never seen anything like it in any Magic Tower combat manual."
"How? I just... ended up this way working efficiently?"
"Pardon?"
Not from training, but from work? The unexpected answer made Titania blink.